Q: My son and his wife just had a baby. They have decided to let their baby sleep with them in their bed at night. I am concerned that this might not be a good thing. Are there any risks in doing this?

A: There are different opinions on bed-sharing or co-sleeping, says the Help for Families panel.

Some groups, like the breastfeeding support group La Leche League, are in favor of bed-sharing because they believe it encourages nursing, while the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against it because of an increased risk of suffocation and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

“There are definite risks associated with the practice of bed-sharing with infants,” says Jeff Stout of the Allentown Health Bureau. “The practice places the baby in danger of being suffocated either by being smothered in the bedding or being accidentally rolled on by a sleeping companion.”

Stout says the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that infants room share — sleep in a separate but nearby location in the same room as their caregiver.

He says the “ABCs of safe sleep for babies are A — Alone separate from others, B — Back is Best, place baby on his/her back in a safe crib at every nap and at nighttime, and C — Crib, remove all loose bedding, comforters, quilts, stuffed animals, bumpers, wedges and pillows from the crib.”

A 2013 study suggested there is an increased risk of infant deaths from SIDS when parents bed-share.

Why take the risk, panelist Joanne Nigito-Raftas asks, although she notes it is a personal choice.

“Hold the baby as much as you can when you’re awake,” she says. “The philosophy is to keep the baby close, but statistics are telling us it can be unsafe.”

Panelist Bill Vogler suggests that parents who bed-share are meeting their own needs rather than babies’.

He says when babies are put to sleep separately, parents may sleep better.

However, panelist Chad Stefanyak notes there is a “huge cultural component” to bed-sharing.

“In other countries, children sleep with their parents until they are 2,” he says.

He says a risk factor for bed-sharing is parental use of drugs and alcohol.

A mother is more likely to co-sleep if she breastfeeds, says panelist Rhoda Stoudt. She says Lehigh County Office of Children and Youth Services tells parents to put babies to sleep in the same room but not in the same bed.

Co-sleeping might make it more difficult to get a child to move to his own bed, panelist Pam Wallace says.

“Habits formed early on are very significant for a child,” Nigito-Raftas agrees. “It’s good to foster independence and the ability to self-soothe.”

The Allentown Health Bureau, in a program supported by the Lehigh County Office of Children and Youth Services, has free portable cribs available for parents through its Safe Sleep Initiative. Call 610-437-7598 for information.

kathy.lauer@mcall.com

610-778-2235

TIPS FOR SAFE SLEEPING WITH INFANTS

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends room sharing by putting an infant in a separate bed in the parents room.

Always put a baby to sleep on his back.

Remove all loose bedding, pillows and stuffed toys.

Hold the baby as much as you can when you’re awake.

Call 610-437-7598 for a free portable crib through the Safe Sleep Initiative.